Foldable lounge chair

ABSTRACT

A foldable lounge chair includes a backrest, a seat and a frame. The seat has two seat support interconnected to each other by a foldable linkage. A controlling device has a blind hole for limiting the pivotal movement of a support extending from a joint of the backrest support and the seat support and two elongated, oppositely orientated through holes defined to respectively receive therethrough the first support and the second support of the frame.

CROSS REFERENCE

[0001] The application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/900,291 filed on Jul. 6, 2001 by the same applicant of this application. The content of the co-pending application is now taken for reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a foldable lounge chair which has a controlling device and a resilient element provided on opposite sides of the lounge chair so that the lounge chair is able to rock easily.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] A conventional lounge chair generally includes a frame with legs supporting the frame and fabric engaged with the frame to allow a user to sit thereon. The legs and the frame are usually foldable so that the lounge chair can be conveniently carried. However, the angle of the backrest relative to the seat portion of the lounge chair is fixed so that the user can not adjust the angle as required. Some improved lounge chairs are designed to have the function of adjusting the angle of the backrest. The user has to stand up and operate the adjusting mechanism to change the angle of the backrest to the seat portion. This is the main problem that the users complain about.

[0004] In order to obviate and diminish the foregoing problem, the present invention provides an improved foldable lounge chair having a backrest and a footrest both rockable to the frame so that the user is able to comfortably rested in the chair without moving the frame of the chair.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The primary objective of the invention is to provide a controlling device and a resilient element both provided on opposite sides of the lounge chair. The controlling device has an elongated hole to pivotally receive the joint of the backrest support and the seat support and two secondary through holes defined in the controlling device to receive frame supports therethrough to support the chair, such that the backrest together with the seat is able to pivot relative to the frame supports.

[0006] Still another objective of the invention is to provide a foldable footrest so that the user is able to fold the chair to a compact size for storage.

[0007] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the lounge chair of the present invention;

[0009]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the lounge chair in FIG. 1;

[0010]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the controlling device of the present invention;

[0011]FIG. 4 is an operational view showing the controlling device has an elongated hole to pivotally receive the joint of the backrest support and the seat support and two secondary through holes defined in the controlling device to receive frame supports therethrough to support the chair;

[0012]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lounge chair of the present invention with a fabric mounted on the structure shown in FIG. 1;

[0013]FIG. 6 is a side view of the lounge chair, wherein the backrest is in the first position,

[0014]FIG. 7is a side view of the lounge chair of the present invention, wherein the backrest is in the second position;

[0015]FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the lounge chair being folded; and

[0016]FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the folded lounge chair.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the lounge chair in accordance with the present invention has a backrest 1, a seat 2 and a frame 3.

[0018] The backrest 1 has two backrest supports 11 spaced apart from and connected to each other by a foldable linkage 12. The seat 2 has two seat supports 21 of which a first distal end of each of the seat supports 21 is foldably connected to a first distal end of each of the two backrest supports 11. The seat support 21 has a bent 22 and a second distal end of each of the seat supports 21 is connected to each other by a second foldable linkage 23.

[0019] The frame 3 has a first support 31, a second support 32 pivotally interconnected with the first support 31 by means of a controlling device 4, a third support 33 pivotally connected to a distal end of the second support 32 and a fourth support 34 pivotally connected to a distal end of the first support 31. The free end of the fourth support 34 is formed to be a support part of an armrest (not numbered) and is pivotally connected with a free end of the second support 32. The free end of the third support 33 is connected to a distal end of the first support 31 of another side of the chair. The two third supports 33 are pivotally connected to each other. With such an arrangement, the entire frame 3 is foldable. Furthermore, with reference to FIG. 3, the controlling device 4 has a blind hole 42 formed on a top of the controlling device 4 for receiving therein a support 41 extending out from a joint of the backrest support 11 and the seat support 21 and an extension 43 extending out from a mediate portion of the controlling device 4 and having two elongated, oppositely orientated through holes 431, 432 defined to receive therethrough the first support 31 and the second support 32 respectively. After the support 41 is received in the blind hole 42 and because of the limitation to the support 41, the support 41 is able to pivot in the blind hole 42, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0020] With reference to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the foldable lounge chair of the present invention has a fabric 5 mounted on the backrest 1 and the seat 2. An armrest 51 is securely mounted between the backrest support 11 and a free end of the fourth support 34 and has a rubber band 511 provided in a mediate portion of the armrest 51. Due to the armrest 51 being securely provided between the backrest support 11 and the fourth support 34, the backrest 1 and the seat 2 is able to maintain at a first position, as shown in FIG. 6. However, when the backrest 1 together with the seat 2 is rocked by the user, as shown in FIG. 7, the support 41 pivots in the blind hole 42 and the rubber band 511 extends to tend to pull back the backrest 1 and the seat 2, which moves the backrest 1 and the seat 2 to a second position. Therefore, when the user stops rocking the backrest 1 and the seat 2, the extended rubber band 511 pulls back the backrest 1 and the seat 2 to the first position.

[0021] With reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, due to the pivotal connection between supports, the entire lounge chair of the present invention is able to be folded to a compact size for storage and transportation.

[0022] As shown and described the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A foldable lounge chair comprising: a backrest with two backrest supports spaced apart from and connected to each other by a foldable linkage; a seat with two seat supports of which a first distal end of each of the seat supports is foldably connected to a first distal end of each of the two backrest supports, each seat support having a bent and a second distal end of each of the seat supports is connected to each other by a second foldable linkage; a frame having a first support, a second support pivotally interconnected with the first support by means of a controlling device, a third support pivotally connected to a distal end of the second support; and a fourth support pivotally connected to a distal end of the first support, a free end of the fourth support pivotally connected with a free end of the second support, a free end of the third support connected to a distal end of the first support provided on opposite side of the chair, the two third supports pivotally connected to each other, whereby the lounge chair is able to be folded with the first and second foldable linkages provided between the two backrest supports and between two bents of the seat supports.
 2. The foldable lounge chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foldable device comprising: a blind hole formed on a top of the controlling device for receiving therein a support extending out from a joint of the backrest support and the seat support and an extension extending out from a mediate portion of the controlling device and having two elongated, oppositely orientated through holes defined to receive therethrough the first support and the second support respectively so that the support is able to pivot in the blind hole of the controlling device.
 3. The foldable lounge chair as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a fabric provided on the seat and the backrest and having two armrests each provided between a distal end of the fourth support and the backrest support to provide a recoil force to the backrest and the seat.
 4. The foldable lounge chair as claimed in claim 3, wherein the armrest has a rubber band provided in a mediate portion of the armrest to provide the required recoil force to the backrest together with the seat. 